The present invention generally relates to chemical venting and handling apparatus. The invention relates more specifically to an apparatus for venting chemical vessels.
In many jurisdictions, the use and storage of hazardous or flammable chemicals is controlled by laws and regulations. For example, use and storage of flammable chemicals, such as flammable solvents and similar materials, is closely regulated. These laws and regulations also control what kind of buildings and workplaces a business entity may use to store and use the chemicals.
For example, the California Fire Code (CFC) and the California Building Code (CBC) impose such regulations. Under CBC, building facilities used by business entities are classified, among other classifications, as B-2, F, and H-3. Such classifications may apply to entire buildings or to selected control zones within a single facility. B-2 and F classifications are for general office and light industrial uses. H-3 is a hazardous facility classification. In general, a business entity occupying a B-2 or F facility faces far lower costs of occupancy and fewer regulatory controls than in an H-3 facility. Further, most jurisdictions provide zoning for H-3 facilities only in limited areas, whereas B-2 or F facilities are more widely allowed under zoning regulations.
CBC and CFC, Section 222-U, define such storage as either xe2x80x9cUse Closed Systemsxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cUse Open Systems.xe2x80x9d Generally, a Use Closed System is one in which a vessel holding the hazardous chemical is closed or sealed continuously throughout use of the chemical, such that vapors emitted by the chemical are not liberated outside of the vessel or system and the chemical is not exposed to the atmosphere during normal operations. A Use Open System is one in which the vessel is continuously open in whole or in part during normal operations, such that vapors evaporating from the vessel are liberated may enter the building atmosphere.
A B-2 or F facility may have only limited quantities of chemicals that are defined as Use Open Systems; at present, the limit is a total of 30 gallons per control area in a facility, and each B-2 or F facility may have up to four (4) such control areas. However, the threshold for Use Closed Systems is much higher; at present, it is 120 gallons per control area. Above these threshold amounts, an expensive H-3 facility is required. Therefore, if a business entity needs to have more than 30 gallons of hazardous chemicals on hand for its operations, and the business entity is able to use only Use Closed Systems, it can successfully conduct its operations in a B-2 or F facility. If it only Use Open Systems are available, then the same entity would have to occupy an H-3 facility.
One context in which these regulations are important is the operation of highpressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) equipment, which is widely used in biotechnology. Business entities that use HPLC equipment are often severely limited in the number of HPLC machines that they can operate within a B-2 or F control zone. While these entities would be more successful if they could operate more HPLC equipment, the entities do not wish to incur the costs of changing to an H-3 facility or control zone.
These issues also exist in jurisdictions other than California that are subject to the code of the National Fire Protection Agency (e.g., NFPA30) and the International Fire Code (IFC). The NFPA applies to the United States, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands; the IFC is in force in certain East Coast U.S. states, and the UFC is in force for certain West Coast states.
Accordingly, there is a need in this field for a way to conveniently, efficiently and inexpensively convert various chemical vessels from Use Open Systems to Use Closed Systems. Such a solution would allow certain business entities to have up to 120 gallons of Flammable-1B chemicals within each B-2 or F occupancy control area. In turn, such a solution would allow such entities to quadruple the quantity of chemicals that they can have within a B-2 or F occupancy, and to avoid building costly H-3 Hazardous occupancy building, which significantly increases construction cost.
A specific need in this context is to reduce the evaporation of chemicals from existing chemical vessels, bottles or other containers into the environment.
Still another related need is to provide a way to remove hazardous chemical vapors from the occupied environment and to direct them to an approved location, thus enhancing the environment and air quality within the occupied space.
Based on the foregoing, there is a clear need in this field for an apparatus for venting chemical vessels.
The approaches described in this section could be pursued, but are not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated herein, the approaches described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
The foregoing needs, and other needs and objects that will become apparent for the following description, are achieved in the present invention, which comprises, in one aspect, a venting apparatus for chemical bottles. The apparatus comprises a vent duct; a plurality of vent ports in spaced-apart locations in the vent duct, wherein each of the vent ports is adapted for coupling to a chemical storage vessel; a flow control mechanism disposed in the vent duct downstream from the vent ports; and a damper disposed in the vent duct downstream from the vent ports.
According to one feature, a closure of a chemical bottle is coupled to one of the vent ports using suitable tubing, and a second coupling connects the chemical bottle to equipment that uses the contents of the bottle. A distal end of the vent duct is coupled to an exhaust fan or room ventilating system.
In this configuration, vapors evaporating from the contents of the chemical are safely exhausted outside a work facility. As a result, a chemical bottle that normally would be classified as Use-Open under applicable fire codes is converted to Use-Closed, effectively enabling the work facility to substantially increase the volume of chemicals that may be stored in the facility under the code, without requiring storage in a hazardous-occupancy facility. Evaporation of chemicals from the chemical bottle into the environment is reduced, and hazardous chemical vapors are removed from the occupied environment and directed to an approved location, thus enhancing the environment and air quality within the space.
In another aspect, the invention provides a workplace furnishing having an integrated venting apparatus. The furnishing and apparatus comprise a frame having one or more surfaces for supporting one or more chemical storage vessels; a vent duct affixed to the frame; a plurality of vent ports in spaced-apart locations in the vent duct, wherein each of the vent ports is adapted for coupling to a chemical storage vessel; a flow control mechanism disposed in the vent duct downstream from the vent ports; and a damper disposed in the vent duct downstream from the vent ports.
Specific embodiments are useful for converting chemical containers from Use-Open to Use-Closed, as defined by the 1998 California Fire Code, the 1997 and 2000 Uniform Fire Code (xe2x80x9cUFCxe2x80x9d), and any codes subsequently adopted by California based on the 2000 UFC, thus allowing laboratories or other work facilities to have up to 120 gallons of Flammable-1B chemicals within each B-2 or F occupancy control area. This allows the laboratories or work facilities to quadruple the quantity of chemicals and the number of chemical processing apparatus that they can have within a facility that is classified for B-2 or F occupancy, and to avoid building costly H-3 Hazardous occupancy building, which significantly increases construction cost. Embodiments also reduces the evaporation of chemicals from the chemical bottle into the environment, and remove hazardous chemical vapors from the occupied environment and directs them to an approved location, thus enhancing the environment and air quality within the space.